By Elin Henderson
“For
what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I
hate, that I do.”
Romans
7:15(NKJV, emphasis added)
I feel a little I-overwhelmed these
days. There’s the I-pad, I-pod, I-touch, I-phone, and I am sure they have come
out with a few more “I’s” in the time I have been back here in Africa. I am going to be in some serious I-trouble when I
venture back into civilization again!
I-trouble isn’t something new though;
it’s been around for awhile. We can go back to the BC years and find all sorts
of I-issues. Elijah in 1
Kings 19:14-17 had all sorts of I-trouble. He let “I” become his pronoun of
choice and became very I-centered. His message was “I am the only one left and what will you do, Lord, without me?”
He wasn’t the only one with
I-troubles, Jonah had his share. Towards the end of his ministry in Jonah 4, he
became very self-absorbed. His message was “after all the work I have done, this is the thanks I get? Where’s the hell, fire and brimstone?”
Let’s be honest, we all suffer from
I-trouble, but take heart, Paul has some good advice for us! In Romans 7, we
find all sorts of I-issues. There is a war within between the I’s. The things I want to do, I don’t.
But, the things I don’t want to do I do! Count the number of I’s that Paul uses between verses
14-24. He genuinely expresses the struggle that we all face daily. But, before
we lose heart completely, he throws in verse 25, “I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord!” He can give us victory through the power of His I-Spirit!
So, the next time you are facing some
I-trouble, remind yourself of these verses of hope and go from I-centered trouble to Christ-centered
victory!
GOING
DEEPER:
1. How can
we encourage each other in our battle against I-trouble?
2. Which
verse would you choose to help remind you of the victory we have in Christ?
(check out Galatians 2:20 as a start or any of the other further reading verses
below)
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s
missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as
church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique,
Africa. Elin is mother to fourteen-year-old Callie
and twelve-year-old Elias.
